GLENEAGLES, Scotland (Reuters) – United States, inspired by a brilliant display from rookie duo Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, led by 2-1/2 points to 1-1/2 after a topsy-turvy opening fourballs session in the 40th Ryder Cup yesterday.

Holders Europe, helped by a magical stroke from Sergio Garcia who holed out from a greenside bunker at the fourth, held the upper hand early on but the visitors fought back strongly as the gusting winds picked up speed.
Spieth, 21, and Reed, 24 – the youngest partnership in the history of the biennial team event – crushed out-of-sorts Ian Poulter and Scottish debutant Stephen Gallacher 5 & 4, in match three.
The first contest was dominated by Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson as they swept to a 5 & 4 win over Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson.
Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer let slip a three-hole lead to halve their match with Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker while Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley beat world number one Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia one-up in the final match.
“The early morning was ebb for our team and then we got some flow going,” U.S. captain Tom Watson told Sky Sports television.
“But this is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s all probably going to be really close, come Sunday. I’m so proud of my young rookies and they were very upset with me for not picking them for the afternoon foursomes.”
Reed and Spieth never looked back after they were gifted the opening hole when European talisman Poulter missed a par putt from three feet.
The American tyros were never behind and a dazzling run of five birdies in six holes around the turn silenced a patriotic Gleneagles crowd.
“It was very quiet around our group and that was a goal we had to achieve,” Spieth told reporters. “It was nice to have a partner who was making everything he looked at.

STRONG FORMAT
“We kind of convinced the captain that we were a great better-ball team; that is our strong format.”
Poulter, so often the cheerleader of Europe’s team, was strangely quiet and subdued and neither he nor Gallacher managed a single birdie.
Home skipper Paul McGinley was also hoping for great things from McIlroy and world number three Garcia in the final match of the morning but they narrowly lost out at the 18th.
It looked as though the crowd were going to be treated to some fireworks when Mickelson played a majestic approach to three feet at the first and McIlroy hit back by ramming in a 14-foot effort for a half.
Garcia’s holed bunker shot gave Europe the initiative but three birdies in four holes around the turn put Mickelson and Bradley two up.
The Americans then threw their advantage away with some loose scoring, leaving the match all square going down the par-five 18th.
This time it was Garcia and McIlroy’s turn to mess up and a three-foot par putt from Mickelson was enough to secure a one-hole win.
The opening match proved a cakewalk for European anchormen Rose and Stenson as they brushed aside Watson and Simpson who also did not manage a single birdie between them.
Rose shrugged off a bee sting on his thumb to roll in a seven-foot putt at the 14th that ended the challenge of the lacklustre American pair.
“That’s what me and the Ice Man came to do today,” said Rose. “Henrik and I are good friends and we wanted to get off to a good start.”
Bjorn, returning to Ryder Cup competition after a 12-year absence, and Kaymer produced a blistering start with three birdies in the opening four holes.
Debutant Walker, however, chipped in from off the green at the ninth and 16th and then drew his team level by sinking a five-foot putt at the last.